Ork Tactics
The Orks are known for their fast, light vehicles, slow and tough gargants and powerful infantry. Most Ork units need to get close to the enemy to do some real damage, either because they have high CA scores, or because their weapons are short-ranged. You will not survive a war of attrition against the humans, so your job is to get close enough without losing too many of your troops in the process. Because how the game works, this is not at all easy. So, to achieve this, you must use some of the powerful but unreliable weapons, such as the Kannon Speedstas, Fighta-Bommerz, Gargants and Pulsa Rokkits. These strong units are the real killers in your army, since they can hurt or destroy any imperial unit from a distance. Other units, such as Lifta-Droppas and Nobz Warbikes are very powerful if they get close enough, but are also very fragile - try to keep your enemy busy shooting at other units to allow these a chance to get close. Most other units will end up being used as chaff and distractions. This is something you should get used to; it is possible to win with the Orks, but you're almost guaranteed to take heavy casualties while doing it. Infantry tactics Ork infantry is better than their Imperial counterparts, but it's slow (except the Stormboyz), and often has short-ranged weapons. Make no mistake, though, the Orks are tough up close. The hardest part of using the Ork infantry, however, is actually getting them into combat. The Battlewagon is vulnerable and the Gibletgrinda is slow, so APCs are not really a solution. Notable units include: *'Gretchin '''are valuable as meat shields, for taking enemy "overwatch" fire - '''always' move them before your other units. *'Stormboyz '''can move very fast and have good stats - almost as good as Space Marines, in fact. Better still, they're cheaper and can be taken by any Ork Clan. *'Nobz''' are just really powerful - they'll make mincemeat even out of Space Marines. Still, they're vulnerable, not too numerous and not that cheap. As mentioned above, the main problem is getting them into combat. The Warboss '''is basically a beefed up version of the Nobz, but he's just one squad... The other units are not really worth the bother: Evil Sunz and Madboyz cost the same as Stormboyz, but are simply not as good. Goffs and Wildboyz are too expensive and not numerous enough, while the Bad Moons are simply no match for Imperial Guard Heavies. Vehicle tactics Ork vehicles tend to come in three flavours: 1. '''Fast, poorly armoured and cheap. These mostly serve as distractions, but if your opponent ignores them, they can be used in surprise attacks on enemy artillery. Some, such as Nobz Warbikes, excel at this. Examples: Bikeboyz, Nobz Warbikes, Warbuggies, Battlewagon (strong armour and average speed, but can transport troops, so it fits here), Bowelburna, Gobsmasha, Spleenrippa (has long ranged cannon). 2. Slower, often heavily armoured, with a single strong gun. I don't use these much, since the Imperial tanks out-gun and often out-range you. Examples: Wierdboy Tower, Bonebreaka, Bonecruncha, Lungbursta, Gutrippa. 3. Mekboy vehicles with powerful weapons and/or unique abilities. Most of these are fast but fragile, but are also the most potent units in your arsenal. Many games will be decided by what happens to them. Note that the Pulsa Rokkit is your only artillery unit. Examples: Lifta Droppa, Dragster, Rokkit Speedsta, Kannon Speedsta, Flakwagon, Pulsa Rokkit. The Bubble Chucka would also count, but its weapon is bugged and doesn't work. Super-Heavy vehicle tactics Not much to say here. The Orks get only one super-heavy, the Giblet Grinda, and it isn't really anything special. It's much weaker than the Imperial super-heavies, but also quite a bit cheaper. If you do decide to use it, it will most likely end up used as a "type 2" vehicle (according to the previous section). Using it to transport infantry is usually a bad idea, since it's slow and presents a big target. Flier tactics The Orks have only one flier, but it's one of their most important units. This is because it is one of only two Orkish units (the other being the Pulsa Rokkit) that can strike anywhere on the battlefield. When using Fighta-Bommerz, remember to keep your distance! There's no reason to approach any closer than 20 squares to the Imperials - the accuracy bonus is not worth the danger. Also be wary of Hydras and, especially in city maps, enemies hidden behind buildings or hills. Your best targets are the Deathstrike Missiles - do everything you can to smash them before they can fire, especially if they have Warp Missiles. Next its best to destroy enemy Hydras (to reduce your losses), then followed by enemy artillery, primarily Bombards, Basilisks and Manticores. If you know '''it's safe, you can attack them from the flanks or even the rear. If you're daring, you can even take on Titans from behind (but remember to keep your distance). Without Patch 1.01, the Ork Rockets are just as powerful as the battlecannon. With the patch, the Rockets have been nerfed, so use them against light vehicles and infantry, or to destroy Titan's Void Shields. Gargant tactics Ork Gargants are tougher than the Imperial Titans, but generally lack the weapons to tackle them head-on. Instead, they should be used to destroy Imperial tanks, absorb the Imperial firepower, and block their line-of-sight. Ork Gargants generally have more Hits and Power Fields than Imperial Titans, but can't repair the latter. They also have a much smaller choice of weapons. '''Warp Missiles are your greatest enemies, since they can simply bypass a Gargant's shields, and can destroy the smaller ones in one hit! Therefore, try to destroy any Deathstrike Missiles with Pulsa Rokkits or Fighta-Bommerz before committing your Gargants. The Great Gargant is tough and powerful, but no match for a Warlord Titan. Instead, it should be used against is Imperial tanks and Super-Heavies. Remember though, that a hit from a Gutbuster (Ball) will knock down all of a Titan's shields in one go. *I would recommed taking the Magnum Cannon for your optional weapon slot - the Orks have trouble with Imperial armour, not infantry, so there's not much point taking the Gatling Cannon. The Ripper Fist is just overkill - you'll paste anything in Close Assault even without it. The Slasher Gargant '''can actually take on the Warhound and even Reaver Titans, largely thanks to its Deth Kannon. Also, most Imperial players are not used to Orks hitting them from such a long range! *I'd recommend taking the Death Kannon, since it's one of the most strongest Ork weapons in the game and has very good range. The other two guns aren't nearly as useful. The '''Mekboy Gargant is an oddity. Its practically invulnerable while its field lasts (except to those *#x! Warp Missiles) and can move quite fast. Its main weapon has a short range but is extremely deadly against any unit, including titans. Once the field fails, though, the Gargant will fall very quickly. Stompers are just too slow to be useful, and under-gunned to boot.